Meadowbrook neighbors await septic to sewer switch

Residents and city officials met in a virtual town hall on July 27th to discuss the construction of the Meadowbrook Utility Local Improvement District.

The planned construction would extend the public sewer system to the western part of the city limits in the Meadowbrook district. Last year, a majority of local residents signed a petition calling on the city to extend sewers to homes and businesses in the neighborhood. The area currently has a septic tank.

“I happen to believe that public sewers are better than private septic tanks for the most part,” said Mark Rigos, the city’s public works director.

Rigos said switching to a public sewer system compared to a septic tank has several advantages, including that the system is city-managed and requires less involvement from local residents. It also allows residents to develop more easily on their property.

A sewer system is less likely than a septic system, Rigos said, which means it is less likely to pollute the aquifers that provide drinking water to cities. The town of North Bend gets some of its water from a well in the center of town near the Meadowbrook neighborhood, Rigos said.

However, the project runs into obstacles. Doug van Gelder, a city development project leader, said building a sewer system was difficult given the area’s landscape.

“We have to cross a river, we have to deal with wetlands, with sensitive areas, we have groundwater problems in the city. There are a number of things that need to be considered, ”he said.

Several residents spoke at City Hall and cited concerns ranging from the lack of payment to build the new system to a lack of desire to develop their property.

“I had no problems with [our septic tank] and we definitely don’t care about the idea of ​​costing the city’s sewerage and water, and we don’t have the money to make it happen, ”said resident Thea Mundy. “There are residents who have lived in the valley for many years and who don’t feel like doing it.”

Rigos said residents would not have to pay for the project until after construction, installation and approval. He said the repayments for the project would be over a 20 year period, with an interest rate of between 2% and 2.5%. Payments wouldn’t start for three or four years before construction is complete.

According to a 2016 study by the State Department of Ecology, residents of North Bend paid $ 156.93 per month, the highest monthly rate for single-family home sewers in the state.

Wende Miller, one of the residents who circulated the petition to build the project, said she had lived in North Bend for 17 years and was unable to develop it despite taxes on her property.

“We want to do something with our property, but we can’t because of code issues with the city,” she said. “I encourage everyone to pay attention not only to the cost, but also to the value it brings to your property. [and] to the city.”

According to a March 2021 study of the area by private valuation firm Sova Consulting, the project is valued at nearly $ 7.5 million. The utility district construction is expected to add $ 11.6 million to the total value of the neighborhood.

Now that the city knows the value of the property and the estimated cost of the project, Rigos has asked residents in the neighborhood to hand out another petition to confirm that the majority of residents are still in favor of the project. If the majority of residents remain for the project, a completed application will be forwarded to the city council for confirmation. If the council approves the project, the city will spend about a year in the design phase, after which construction will begin.

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